These are 10 quick questions to ask yourself before you bid on an item.

1. Why are you purchasing the item? Is it something that you need? Is it something that you want? Could you live without it? Do you deserve to treat yourself to something nice?

2. Who is selling the item? To find out about the seller, click on their feedback rating. How long have they been a member? What is their feedback number? What about any recent negative feedbacks? Are they ID Verified? Do they have a ME page? You are looking for clues that they are vested in Ebay and take selling seriously.

3. About those pictures....
Are they clear? Are there a sufficient number of pictures to accuratly describe the item?

4. Are there similar items to compare it to? Have you done a search?

5. How much is shipping? Will the shipper ship to you? Will the shipper combine shipping if you were to purchase more items from them?

6. What about recourse?
Is there a return policy? Is there contact information available to you? Is there a "Store Policies" page?

7. Have you contacted the seller?
Is there an e-mail address on the page or have you clicked on "contact seller"? How long does it take to get a reply? Was the reply pleasent?

8. What do you know about the item?
Is it something that you have looked for and couldn't find elsewhere?
Is the item up for auction genuine? Does it look like a quality piece?

9. What are the total costs?
The item plus shipping plus handling or normal. However, is it from another country? How is it being shipped? Does shipping cover insurance?

10. Ask yourself, if you are 100% behind your decision to hit that button. If you were to wait to think about it , would it be gone?

Hopefully, these questions will help you make you an educated bidder.